We can finally forget all the drama and confusion that surrounded Francisco Liriano‘s status for the past month-plus…he’s officially a Pirate now. Liriano passed his physical and is on the roster (Vin Mazzaro was outrighted to AAA to clear a spot). His contract is unique due to his broken right humerus, and honestly it’s better (and by that I mean less risky) for the Pirates than the original 2-year, $12.75M version.

Liriano is now operating on a one year, $1M deal with a team option for next year. He can make up to $3.75M on top of that based on the amount of time he spends on the DL. The option for next year could vest at $5M, $6M, or $8M, also depending on DL time. (The actual number of DL days necessary for the extra money and/or option to kick in hasn’t been reported.)

It still seems like Liriano will miss the start of the year, and the extent of the time he’ll miss is still unknown. This contract makes it less urgent (financially) for the Bucs to get him on the mound ASAP, although the Pirates would certainly like to have him back soon so they don’t have to rely on a rookie 5th starter. Still, we can finally be sure that he WILL pitch for the Bucs at some point this season, and that’s probably a good thing.